Appendix A

 John Hooker – States and Derivatives

 

John Hooker’s plan went through various stages of development and two further states^[1] of the map are known and a number of copies were made. The first state is described on page 22 and is held at the British Library (BL Maps C.5.a.3).

The two later states are;

          State 2. The dividers and the scale bar are partly erased, a tree is omitted west of the bridge and Powe Lane is changed to Pound Lane. Only one copy is known, in the possession of the Dymond family of Chagford.

          State 3. A crude, wrongly orientated, compass rose is drawn over the space previously occupied by the dividers. Holloway Road has been incorrectly altered, turning east after Lark Beare and so wrongly moving Malford and the chapel of St. Leonard. Only one copy is known. This state is illustrated on page 23 and also (with state 1) in Todd Gray, 1992; the map is at Devon Record Office (4292A/BS1), part of the Exeter Guildhall Collection.

In c.1593 a four-fold screen was made in gilded leather which portrayed an enlarged copy of the map (1300 x 1640 mm) in a decorated border. Ravenhill and Rowe wrote an explanatory essay^[2] which suggested that the screen was made for, or given to, one of the Cecil family, either to Sir William, Lord Burghley, or his son Robert. The screen map is more correct in many details but none more so than the cathedral where the towers are more correctly placed and the windows detailed. The covered walkway in front of the Guildhall is not shown, but nor is the renaissance colonnade, completed in 1594, leading to the suggested date of 1593.

The map was copied by John Speed, Braun & Hogenberg, Daniel Meisner, Matthäus Merian, Rugerus Hermannides and by Richard Izacke's unknown engraver, each adding his own style to the map (see entries 2-7) before Ichabod Fairlove's completely new map became the new standard from which to copy.

 Braun and Hogenberg derivatives can be seen by the inclusion of people and sometimes the original title or variation thereof (Civitas Exoniae). Various copies were made, the earliest being possibly that executed by Mutlow for Lysons Magna Britannia (see entry 19). Townsend (who did a lot of work for Besley) lithographed a copy for inclusion in W Cotton’s An Elizabethan Guild of the City of Exeter, published 1873 (illustration above); a small version was included in Cassell’s Our Own Country (50) in 1882; J G Commin, a local publisher, issued Exeter in circa AD 1570 (a reference to Hooker) but with subheading From Braun’s Civitates Orbis Terrarum from his premises in the High Street in 1886; Freeman included a small plan in 1887 in his History of Exeter (illustration below and see entry 53); and another copy, probably by Commins, was printed c.1895 with title Exeter in 1618 (a clear reference to Hogenberg) with advertisements on the reverse. Interestingly, Commins included the arms of John Hooker on his copies (not included by Braun & Hogenberg).

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^[1] A state is meant to mean that the original plate on which the map was engraved was changed in some way and then used for a new printing run; a copy is a new engraving on a fresh plate.

^[2] See William Ravenhill and Margery Rowe; A Decorated Screen Map of Exeter based on John Hooker’s Map of 1587 in Todd Gray, 1992. The screen is illustrated in full colour.

 Appendix B

 John Richards

John Richards (1690-1788) was born at Mariansleigh, North Devon and received a grammar school education. He was apprenticed to Abraham Voysey, a joiner in St. Thomas’s who made Sea-quadrants. He succeeded to a business as joiner and builder and it was as a builder that he designed and built the New Hospital. However, even before completing the hospital he had worked as a surveyor. Although he was carrying out surveys for the Chamber as early as 1739 it was not until September 1746 that he was officially appointed as the City’s Surveyor. In 1744, on behalf of the Hospital of St. John, he surveyed the Manors of Clyst St. Laurance and Clyst-Gerard; in 1746 he surveyed the manor of Teign-Harvey; again in 1746 he surveyed five tenements in the parish of Bovey-Tracey; as well as tenements in Culliton, Newton Ferrers and Teignmouth. He also surveyed other properties for the Chamber in connection with charities in Awliscombe, Uffculm, Halberton, Sowton, Sidbury, Buckland Newton (in Dorset), Lyme Regis, and Exmouth. Most of these maps, together with those of his successor and others, are bound into a special ‘Book of Vellum’ ordered for the mapping of all the City Chamber’s lands, estates and properties. The surveyor (i.e. John Richards) was to be paid £105 for the whole work or at the rate of 5s for each tenement in town and at the rate of 6s an acre for estates in the country. At the end of his appointment in 1760 he was paid £120, the balance of his bill. In the same year William Hayman was appointed as the Chamber’s Surveyor with a salary of £35 per annum.^[1]

Richards' surveys were bound together in what is known as the Exeter Chamber Map Book:^[2]

This Book contains a Sett of Maps, or Charts, of all the lands and Tenements belonging to the Chamber of Exon, situate within the City and County of the City of Exon and elsewhere; carefully plann’d, and laid down, in their just Proportions, by the several Scales inserted in them respectively Together with written Descriptions of each particular Tenement and the Dimensions & Boundaries thereof. ^[3]

The book contained some 28 maps of which the latest was dated 1786. Of these Map 19 is dated 1744, Map 20, 1746, and a reference in the Act Book notes that Richards was paid for a map of the Slow Tenement in 1739 (Map 23). All three pre-date his appointment, and within the Reference Tables others can be post-dated. All these maps contain lists of the property and their occupants at the time of drafting. They are all manuscript plans on parchment and coloured. It is assumed that all the early ones were surveyed (and drawn) by John Richards.

It is probably no coincidence that John Richards’ surveys were completed just after John Rocque had drawn his large map of the City. Rocque was a well-respected surveyor of estates and was engaged in drawing a 24-sheet map of London at this time. He would hardly have begun his Exeter work without making contact with or obtaining permission from the Chamber, and they would surely have referred him to their own surveyor. It is also unlikely that Richards did not make contact with Rocque. Co-operation at some level is a distinct possibility.

The accuracy of Richards' own surveys suggest that they each took some considerable time in the first drafting. The similarity of style and the length of information on the tenancies also suggest a later completion and an execution by one draughtsman. Whether this is reflected in a passage of eleven years is doubtful but presumably the surveys should be dated to 1746 and their final drafting to 1757, when they were formulated to form the ‘Book of Vellum’.

Maps 2-16 are supplementary to Map 1. They cover the city and the lands immediate to the walls in detail and to a larger scale. Map 17 is a plan of the river and is listed in the Appendix. Maps 18-23 & 28 show various properties in Devon, but not in Exeter, that belonged to the Chamber. Maps 24 & 25 show lands in St. Sidwell, Northernhay and Exland. Map 27 shows the run of pipes and audits.

Exeter Quay from Cotton's An Elizabethan Guild 1873

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^[1] Taken from Richards' obituary in the Exeter Flying Post  in 1878 and Ravenhill & Rowe (2002).

^[2] The maps are listed in Devon Maps and Map Makers by Mary Ravenhill & Margery Rowe (2002) at page 184ff (Volume I).

^[3] The book has collection number ECA Act Book 14,f,228A.

 Appendix C

 Henry Besley

Few local printers published extensively but the Besleys of Exeter could probably claim to have been one of the most prolific of local publishers. By the mid-1800s the family-run business had a long tradition stretching back almost half a century. Thomas Besley (Senior) was born in 1760 and had various business addresses as printer, bookseller and stationer or bookbinder: he is listed in various directories of the time at Southgate Street (1801 and 1811); at Holy Trinity (1803); and at Bell Hill, or more specifically at 76, Bell Hill, South Street (between 1816 and 1834). It must be assumed that Thomas was mainly a jobbing printer taking on contracts wherever possible and not taking on the extra responsibility for publishing.

Thomas and Jane had 6 children including Thomas Junior who also became a printer in Exeter; Robert, born 14th October 1794 (died 1876), a type founder in the firm of Thorowgood and Besley and who became Lord Mayor of London 1869-70; and Henry (baptised 15th June 1800 at Holy Trinity) who eventually became partner and successor to the family business. Thomas died on 27th October 1834 aged 74.

Thomas' eldest son, Thomas (Junior), was born in Exeter in 1790/1 and married Mary (also born in Exeter the same year). They had one son, Henry, who is thought to have died in 1853. Thomas, too, was also a printer and bookseller, as well as stationer and library proprietor (1823). About 1816 we find works printed and sold by either T Besley Senior or T Besley Junior, obviously to differentiate between the two businesses, with the latter printing and publishing books until roughly 1836 although his Devonshire chronicle and Exeter news paper ran until 1853.

However, it was Thomas Senior's younger son, Henry, who took over the business of his father. The company had already been trading as T Besley & Son according to directories of 1825 and 1828 and they were listed as T & H Besley in directories of 1828 and 1834. The imprint Printed ... by T and H Besley first appears approx. 1820 (e.g. Hyam Isaacs Address to the Jews). The company published directories as well as Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset sheet almanacs from 1828. Their first map of Exeter appeared in that year and was advertised in the Exeter Flying Post of 3rd July.

The map of Exeter that J Warren executed for Henry Besley (32) about 1845 for inclusion in the Route Book of Devon was probably brought up-to-date more frequently than any of the other maps and plans included here. As such it may be pertinent to include a summary of the main changes made throughout the map’s life. The original map is described fully in the map catalogue. The map was included in editions of the Route Book (RB), sections were extracted for special Hand Books of Exeter (HB), the map was issued as a folding map (FM), from 1878 it was included in issues of the Post Office Directory (PO) and also appeared in a guide produced for Thomas Worth, son of Thomas who had taken over Mol’s Coffee House and turned it into Worth’s Art Gallery, Worth’s Guide to Exeter - The Cathedral Hand Book (WG).

1. 1845            See entry 31.

2. 1854            Directions to Pince's Nursery and To Veitch's Nursery added outside border (below).                              RB.

3. 1869            Signature of J Warren removed. The South Western Railway added from northeast to Queen Street and St. David's stations necessitating removal of nursery and stream. To Veitch’s Nursery erased. Public Hall added next to prison. Additional developments, e.g. in southeast and along Workhouse Lane.                                                                                                                                                                       HB, RB, FM.

                       By 1870 the title had been reduced to EXETER and only the Besley imprint remains. The London and South Western Railway is now shown with Queen Street Station but Longbrook has disappeared (presumably underground). Of particular note are the new and separated reservoirs and the considerable housing at Victoria Park, in Prospect Park, along Black Boy Road, beside Clifton Road, in College Park and Albert Terrace. The Free Cottages are shown and Larkbeare has reappeared. In the References the Albert Museum replaces the Episcopal Charity schools which are now moved to St. Michael’s and The Queen’s Hotel replaces the Star Inn.

4. 1877            Title simply EXETER (20 mm below border). Becker’s signature erased.                                                HB.

5. 1877           Rougemont Hotel replaces City Prison (site acquired by the Devon & Exeter Hotel Co. in 1875). A new note added FREEHOLD LAND SOCIETY’S ESTATE.                                                                          RB.

6. 1878            Becker signatures reinstated. Rougemont Hotel shows signs of erasure.                                    HB, PO.

                        By 1881 the map had been enlarged to 275 x 345 mm and although no scale is shown it is to the same scale as the previous Warren maps or 30 chains = 40 mm. The title is repositioned (top right), the scale bar and the References are removed and the imprint changed to read H.Besley & Son. The area covered is increased to the South to include Pince’s Nursery; to the West to include Foxhayes, to the North to include Pennsylvania Park and to the East to include most of Heavitree. Considerable additional housing is shown especially in St. Thomas and north of Tiverton Old Road. The Grammar school and Wonford Asylum are shown in Heavitree. The railway is taken to the Basin and Gas Works.

7. 1882            The note FREEHOLD LAND SOCIETY’S ESTATE is omitted.                                                 PO.

8. 1883            From c.1883 the map was lithographically altered. Larger size: 310 x 370 mm. The title is now: EXETER AND SUBURBS. Imprint: PRINTED & PUBLISHED BY H BESLEY & SON, SOUTH STREET, EXETER. New imprint: ENTERED AT STATIONERS’ HALL. A plain three line border; North point. Extends out to Exwick, St. Thomas and Wonford. Certain lettering is redone and places are retitled (HM Prison instead of County Gaol) etc.

For the 1883 edition of Besley’s Directory the map with new title measured 272 x 307 mm. The plan now extends to Exwick, St. Thomas & Wonford. Certain lettering has been redone and places re-titled. The Directory map was again made slightly larger for the 1884 edition, but otherwise was little altered.          PO.

9. 1885            Minor changes, e.g. St. Anne’s Well Brewery deleted behind the Rougemont Hotel and Victoria Hall and a nursery added by Velwell Villas. Deletion of T.G. stations.                                                                  PO.

10. 1886          Minor changes, e.g.”Field” markings deleted at Pennsylvania Park, Combs Farm deleted, Trews Weir added, Grammar School changed from L-shape structure to small buildings.                              PO.

11. 1889          Minor changes, e.g. STREET becomes ST in imprint. Higher Barracks becomes Cavalry Barracks, New developments replace Polsloe House and Recreation Ground, changes to roads and buildings at the Devon C. Constabulary – New North Road.                                                                                PO.

12. 1890          Minor changes, e.g. title redrawn (more floral), STREET in imprint and many names show signs of re-engraving. The area at St. Thomas shows developments: Pince’s name removed at nursery; county ground added; and Cowick Road added at Union Street with change in depiction of buildings.             PO^[1].

13. 1901          Imprint: Printed & Published by Besley & Dalgleish. Size now 300 x 375 mm.              

                        The plan remains much the same but a lot of the lettering has been altered even when the same wording is retained. New developments along Black Boy Road and a reference to the Freehold Land Society’s Building Estate north of Prospect Park. Workhouse Lane is now Polsloe Road with two brick fields (Exeter Brick & Tile Co. founded 1899) and Polsloe Park is now built-up.                                                   HB, WG.

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^[1] Although the Directories were published frequently not all of the copies seen contained a map, for example, Exeter WSL also has copies for 1894 and 1900 lacking the map.

Select Bibliography of Books on Devon Maps

 Devon is one of the best researched counties in England and Wales in terms of its mapping and over the past 15 years a large number of important books have been published detailing some of the thousands of maps representing parts of the county. The following is a useful resource list of books which include aspects of Devon mapping. If you are aware of any further works which would be useful to those researching Devon's history through maps and charts, please let us know. 

The first point of reference for anyone researching any aspect of Devon printing and publishing must be the work of Ian Maxted. His Exeter Working Papers in Book History is perhaps the most complete listing of any county’s publishing history and there are numerous lists and biographical information for the researcher. Go to the Home page at - https://bookhistory.blogspot.com/2014/10/homepage.html.

The new Devon Archives and Local Studies is a useful starting point, access their on-line catalogue at -  http://library-cat.swheritage.org.uk/home.

Barker, Katherine & Kain, Roger	Maps & History in South-West England University of Exeter Press	1991
Batten, Kit & Bennett, Francis	The Printed Maps of Devon 1575-1837* Devon Books (private printing) 2nd edition on-line at https://www.printed-maps-of-devon.eu/	1996 (2008)
Batten, Kit & Bennett, Francis	The Victorian Maps of Devon 1838-1901* Devon Books (private printing) 2nd edition on-line at https://www.victorian-maps-of-devon.eu/	2000 (2010)
Batten, Kit & Bennett, Francis	The Printed Maps of Exeter 1587-1901# Little Silver Press	2010
Batten, Kit	Christopher Saxton and his Map of Devonshire  Monograph (copy at EWSL)	1990
Batten, Kit	John Cooke Engraver and Publisher* Monograph (copy at EWSL) Now on-line at https://john-cooke-cartographer.blogspot.com/	2009 (2020)
Batten, Kit	The Tourist Maps of Devon 1810-1901*  Little Silver Press	2012
Bennett, Francis	Road-Books, Road-Maps of Great Britain 1535-1850* Privately Printed & Published	2007
Bennett, Francis	The Roads of Devon and Cornwall* Privately Printed & Published	2007
Gray, Todd (Ed.)	Devon Documents Devon & Cornwall Notes & Queries	1996
Gray, Todd (Ed.)	Tudor and Stuart Devon (Essay on John Hooker) University of Exeter Press	1992
Harley and O’Donoghue	The Old Series Ordnance Survey Maps Harry Margery	1977
Kain, Roger	Tithe Maps of England and Wales Cambridge University Press	1995
Ravenhill, M and Rowe, M	Maps of Georgian Devon (selection of manuscript maps) Friends of Devon’s Archives	2002
Ravenhill, M and Rowe, M	Devon Maps and Map-Makers (pre-1840 m/s maps) Friends of Devon’s Archives	2002
Ravenhill, M and Rowe, M	Early Devon Maps (selection of manuscript maps) Friends of Devon’s Archives	2000
Ravenhill, W L D	A Map of the County of Devon (B Donn's map) Devon & Cornwall Record Society	1965
Somers Cocks, J V	Devon Topographical Prints 1660-1870 (lists local engravers' works) Devon Library Services	1977
Stewart, Elisabeth	Lost Landscapes of Plymouth	1991
	Alan Sutton

 

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